So you have your warm winter coat and those handy gloves, not to mention a hat and maybe even your snow boots.

It seems like you’re ready to face the elements of the coming winter season – but maybe you should check again.

While it’s important to cover up your bare skin from the harshness of cold weather, it’s what you put on underneath that really makes a difference.

“Cold weather dehydrates the skin,” said Maria Clemento, a sales associate for Douglas, a beauty store in the Shops at Liberty Place on Chestnut Street. “When your skin is dehydrated it looks tired. There are more visible lines and wrinkles.”

Winter weather really does a number on your skin, and in order to have a clear and smooth complexion during the coldest season, it’s important to hydrate, hydrate and hydrate!

“The dryness of the cold air sucks the moisture right out of your skin,” said Max Fetter, Aveda’s lead adviser.

Without moisture the skin becomes itchy and flaky from dry heat, and cold wind can beat the skin, causing redness – a sign that your skin is thirsty.

Guerrera recommends cream cleansers and heavier moisturizers for skincare during the colder months to keep the skin extra-moisturized.

“Exfoliating is also very important. It gets rid of dead skin and other dirt and grime,” Guerrera said. “This will also help the moisturizer to penetrate the skin better.”

Many people forget that the sun still affects the skin even during the winter, so when you hit the slopes this coming winter season, don’t forget to use sunscreen or moisturizers with an SPF, which helps to slow the aging process.

Thomas Gibboney, assistant manager of Kiehl’s, recommends double moisturizing – moisturize all over your body, then reapply with a heavier moisturizer in drier areas that need more care.

Try washing your face with a gentle foaming cleanser instead of harsh soaps, because foaming cleansers don’t take moisture away from your skin like some brands of soap do.

While your face needs tender-loving care, don’t forget your hands. Winter also dries out your hands, which is why so many people fall victim to cracked and even bloody hands.

If your hands are clammy, and you don’t want to moisturize them during the day, then try a rich moisturizing cream when you go to bed to ensure fresh, smooth skin for the next morning.

Moisturizing your entire body at night should be part of your daily regimen as well.

“You lose most of your water content at night, so it’s important to replenish the moisture in your skin at night,” Gibboney said.

High-end lotions and cream can be quite pricey and put more than a dent in your wallet with prices ranging from $20 to more than hundreds of dollars.

With proper knowledge of skincare and a walk to your local Rite Aid you can find the proper accoutrements to a winter skincare regimen.

Eucerin, Jergens, Vaseline and St. Ives offer an assortment of body, feet and hand lotions and creams for extra dry skin. They won’t break your wallet either, with prices ranging from $2.99 to $14.99.

Many brands carry face washes and moisturizers, including household brands like Neutrogena, Biore and Olay. These brands offer great scrubs, foaming cleansers, toners and moisturizers perfect for harsh winter weather.

Ranging from $4.99 to $13.99, these products still offer the SPF, vitamins and natural extracts that expensive brands boast, but for a fraction of the cost.

So before you bundle up in your trendy winter wardrobe, remember to take care of your skin first, because beauty really is skin deep.

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The Temple News has been the paper of record for the Temple University community since it first printed as Temple University Weekly on Sept. 19, 1921. The award-winning student publication, editorially independent of Temple, now publishes every Tuesday and daily online. The Temple News distributes 5,000 printed copies, free of charge, to the university’s primary locations in the Delaware Valley.